November 8, 2016 Ballot Prop. 54

Proposition 54: Publication of Legislative Bills Prior to Vote


Official Results

Available once the California Secretary of State has certified the election. This can take up to 3 weeks or more.

Yes votes: 8,607,266 (65.4%)
No votes: 4,559,903 (34.6%)

Prohibits Legislature from passing any bill unless published on Internet for 72 hours before vote. Requires Legislature to record its proceedings and post on Internet. Authorizes use of recordings. Fiscal Impact: One-time costs of $1 million to $2 million and ongoing costs of about $1 million annually to record legislative meetings and make videos of those meetings available on the internet.

Pro/Con Statements

ProCon
Proponents of Proposition 54 believe the measure will help increase transparency of government in the state. They say that it will help combat special interests who benefit from closed legislative meetings and lack of awareness of legislative action.
Opponents of Proposition 54 believe that the measure complicates the process legislators use to pass bills. They say it will significantly slow down legislative action on pressing issues. They claim the 72 hour waiting period will give special interests time to launch attacks on bipartisan compromises.
SupportersOpponents